The Dire Mechanisms
by Morganstein
Summary: "Your eyes... They're like a cat's." I spoke softly so no one else would hear. He blinked. "You see more than I thought, my dear." After orphan Maude is adopted by Alec & Magnus, everything she knows is shattered. And she picked the worst possible time to find a new world full of angels and demons. The winds of war are blowing, and they're blowing in the Nephilim's direction.
1. My Own Personal Hell

**Hey**** guys, the name's Morganstein! This is just a little note to say thank you for reading The Dire Mechanisms, this is my very first fic but there's no need to go easy on me in the comment section, haha. Every follow/fav/review is appreciated, so if you do one of those then thank you again. I couldn't have done this without an awesome beta, The Sword is my Pen. She's amazing and I highly recommend. This literary world and most of the characters do not belong to me but to the wonderful Cassandra Clare! Enjoy! **

_Maude's POV  
_

"Is it alright if I sit here?" The voice jolted me out of my reverie with a jerk. I raised my head from the book in my hands to see who in the world was talking to me. I almost shouted out loud. Instead, all I could do was stare, my eyes growing wider the whole time. A man who looked like he was probably in his early 30's at most was towering above me as I traveled home on the subway. He was unbelievably tall, far taller than anyone else on the train, yet so slim that he was almost skinny. His clothes were startling, bright purple skinny jeans, platform boots and a golden mesh shirt with a skin-tight sky blue tank top underneath. His hair was black, spiky, and sticking out in all directions like glamorous bed head. Covering the façade and tying the look together was an enormous amount of glitter that made him shimmer when he moved. It matched the sparkly eyeliner he was wearing that made his eyelashes seem fuller and darker. All of those factors would've been enough to make most scream, but that wasn't what shocked me. No, what shocked me were his eyes, yellowish-green cat eyes, with slits for pupils. He studied me with them with a sense of amusement. Something else I couldn't name was hidden there underneath as well. "I'll take that as a yes, then." He flashed me a grin and sat down next to me. I ripped my gaze away from his eyes. I stared down at my shaking hands that were on the verge of letting my ragged novel slip to the floor. I closed the book with a small thud and the sound rang out in the closeness of the subway seat. "What book are you reading?" He asked in a kind tone.  
"Jane Eyre." My reply was nothing more than a mumble.  
The joy in his tone was so clear when he answered it was almost like I could hear him smiling. "That's one of my favorites, I've read it many times myself." I raised my head to look at him. I had been right, he was smiling.  
"Mine too." I gave him a small grin. I couldn't help but sneak a glance at his eyes just to see if they really were... cat eyes. They were still the same as when I had first seen them. Those couldn't be his real eyes, could they? His smile faded and his eyes gazed back into mine, steady as a heartbeat. I dropped my chin and returned to looking at the book in my lap.  
He didn't say anything for a moment, then whispered something that assured me I wasn't, in fact, insane. "What do you see?" He asked and I turned to look at his face again. He was handsome, I guess, with tan skin and fine features. His teeth were also a brilliant white and, although they were flat, looked unusually sharp.  
"Your eyes... They're like a cat's." I spoke softly so no one else would hear.  
He blinked. "You see more than I thought, my dear." His voice was gentle but curious, and he scrunched his eyebrows, studying me.  
"What are you?" I tried to keep my voice steady but failed miserably.  
He put out his hand, which I shook with just my fingertips. "I'm Magnus Bane." He stated matter-of-factly.  
"No, I mean, _what_ are you?" I shook my head, almost as if I shook it enough my eyes would clear and I'd be mistaken about his entire existence.  
"That, sweetheart, is for me to know and for you to find out." He winked one of his glittery eye lids and I stared at him. "So, what is your name? I told you mine, you tell me yours." Magnus leaned back into the padded bench of the subway. I thought for a moment. One part of me was screaming 'Stranger danger!, yet at the same time... There was an air about him I couldn't explain. I felt it in the pit of my stomach and it made me trust him almost without thinking. Magnus Bane. Who would name their child Magnus?  
"I'm Maude. Just Maude." The last part I added as an afterthought.  
He raised an eyebrow, clearly unconvinced. "Well, Maude, what happened to your last name? Did you misplace it in that head of yours? Or did you lose it and can't remember where you left it?" Magnus asked, half mocking, half curious.  
I bit my lip and played with the pages of the book on my lap. "I'm sorry to disappoint, but I don't have a last name. At least, not one I know of." My voice was quiet.  
Realization dawned in his eyes that soon vanished in a flash of pity. "Orphan?" This guy was blunt, to say the least.  
"Yeah."  
"I'm sorry."  
"I never understood why people say that. It's not like you killed them." I looked at him and he grinned widely, chuckling to himself. "What's so funny?" Confusion made me crinkle my brow.  
"Nothing, it just sounds something like a friend of mine would say."

Magnus and I chatted for the rest of the subway ride, which in hindsight was quite strange. The man himself was strange, but I liked him. He was eccentric, but empathetic. And as for his eyes... He didn't explain and I didn't ask. Soon enough I sighed and told Magnus we'd be at my stop in seconds. My orphanage was just a few blocks away. I know it's odd for a fifteen year old to go to an orphanage instead of a foster home, but I prefer it that way I guess. In a foster home, it's like they're fond enough of you to take care of you, but they don't love you enough to keep you. Upon hearing the news that I would be departing the bus, Magnus frowned and then, surprising me, hugged me.  
"I'll see you soon, okay?" He murmured into my ear. I pulled away in confusion.  
"Um, okay..? How?" The bus screeched to a halt and I got to my feet, looking back at Magnus over my shoulder. All he did was smile and wave, then before I knew it I was herded off of the train and down the stairs to the sidewalk by the other passengers. Just like that I was back inside my personal hell, complete with my own personal demons.

_Magnus' POV _

"Alec! I'm home!" I trilled, striding into the apartment. A man walked out of one of the rooms, wiping his hands on his sweat pants. He looked like he'd just finished training and wasn't wearing his usual threadbare grey sweater, instead opting to leave his chest bare, exposing his muscled torso that was the result of years of training. The white, silvery scars that marked his kind twined up and down his arms like pale vines, climbed his legs, sprawled over his chest, danced across his back and encircled his throat. His blue eyes lit up when he caught sight of me, bright against his fair skin and paired with his jet black hair. He smiled a sheepish grin that even though I had seen it a million times before the sight of it always made my heart flutter and took my breath away. He was absolutely beautiful. And he was all mine. My Alec.  
"Hey, Magnus! I just finished training I-" My mouth on his cut him off, my lips hungrily devouring his own. I traced the scars on his back with my fingertips, just whispers against Alec's porcelain skin. Some may say that his scars were imperfections, flaws, reminders of pain. I, myself, thought of them as just another thing that made Alec so Alec. Thus they made him all the more amazing in my eyes. I wound my long fingers into his midnight locks and pulled away, still cradling his face in my hands. His eyes fluttered open and he smiled, blushing. "Someone had a good day." He murmured with a breathless whisper and I grinned down at him. He was the right height where his head fit just so under my chin when I wrapped my arms around him.  
"Alec, I found her." I couldn't contain my excitement. After 15 years of wanting this, I had found her. I only wished that Alec could have been there to meet her too, so we could have looked at each other with the same expression of awe on our faces.  
"Found who?" Alec crinkled his brow in confusion, scrunching up his nose in a way that was so damn cute it was physically hard not to kiss him again. I took a deep breath, and whispered the news that would change our lives forever.  
"I found our daughter."

_Alec's POV_

My eyes widened and Magnus dropped his hands from my face. He still had that wild grin upon his gorgeous face, and that look in his eyes that told me anything's possible. Even without the platform boots he was wearing, Magnus was an immense six-foot five, with lightly muscled limbs and a toned torso that, I knew, lacked a belly button. His ears were pierced by a multitude of metal rings and studs. Magnus had attempted to take me to get my ears done and just about anything else that you could puncture pierced, but it wasn't my thing. His thick, unruly black hair was spiked as usual, with the help of hair gel and maybe a little magic too. His skin was tanned, and had its fair share of sparkle glimmering over its surface. Magnus' eyes were outlined in liquid glitter and were deep, a yellowish-green iris surrounding a cat's pupil black as midnight. He was stunning, breathtaking, glitter or not. And he was absolutely, positively, mine forever. "Please don't tell me you went to the adoption agency without me." I said quietly, a little disappointed. If he had went, why hadn't he taken me? Wasn't it my child, too? But my fears were unfounded, because he shook his head.  
"I saw her on the subway. She was perfect, darling, oh I wish you'd been there!" He spread his arms wide and spun around, tottering on his feet and laughing with giddy happiness. I sat down on the couch, but Magnus continued his tale. "She had long copper hair to her waist, and her eyes were like soft blueberries. They were so deep and so sad it broke my heart, dear. She was sweet, she was shy, she was witty, she was smart and she was adorable! I couldn't believe it, as soon as I laid eyes on her I knew she was the perfect daughter for us." He rambled on, the smile never leaving his face and the twinkle never vanishing from his eyes. When he finished he looked at me expectantly.  
My face had gone paler than usual and my eyes were still as wide as saucers. "Magnus, you really are the Child Catcher from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. How do you even know if she's an orphan?" I asked, a little horrified, and he grinned again.  
"I asked her, and she told me she was." He replied, sitting down next to me on the couch.  
I face palmed, then rested my head in my hands. "By the Angel, Magnus, you can't just ask people if they're orphans." I mumbled through my fingers. I could feel blazing hot skin on my own, and my fingers were peeled away from my face, Magnus holding them in his hands at my side. He put his face close to mine just so that our foreheads touched. I tried to look at him head-on but that only made me light-headed. I couldn't tell if it was from his proximity or because I was going cross-eyed, probably both. Magnus pressed his lips to mine once again, softly.  
"We're going to be fathers, Alec." He murmured against my mouth and I couldn't help but smile, pulling my hands from his at my side, wrapping my arms around his neck and pulling him even closer.

_Maude's POV _

"Where have you been, you little brat?" Ms. Wicket screeched as I slipped inside the foyer. She was a short, squat, ugly woman, with long, greasy grey hair that she tied back into a tight bun and was carrying the enormous handbag she always had with her.  
"I-I'm sorry, I was just reading in the park." I apologized, creeping towards the stairs the faster she walked towards me.  
"In the park? Why would you go to an awful place like that? It's full of bugs and grass and..." She stopped mid-sentence as she caught sight of a small speck of dirt on the floor. I blanched, realizing I must have dragged it in when I walked inside. "You creature! You filthy excuse for a girl! You dirty little rat!" She started hollering at me. Ms. Wicket dug into her bag and withdrew her wooden spoon. It was famous around the orphanage and every single child had seen it being used on someone or had received the punishment themselves at one point or another. I gulped and came towards her, knowing full well from experience that if I ran it would only make it worse. She tapped the long spoon against her hand, glaring at me with eyes that were full of what could only be described as pure hatred. I closed my eyes and tried to block out everything as I heard the swish of the wooden spoon fly through the air.  
_Thwack!_

The next morning I was awakened by a pounding on the door. "Maude! Get up, there's a set of parents here who'd like to see you!" Ms. Wicket screamed at me through the door. I groaned and rolled out of bed, stiff and sore from the night before. Everyone started whispering and I caught small fragments of what they said. Parents, family, home, adoption. I pulled on a large, over-sized sweater with a pair of tights and old sneakers, hoping to hide my body in the folds of the baggy material for countless reasons.  
"Good luck." A voice called out. I turned around to see who said it, but I couldn't pick out who it was from the crowd of faces. So I just nodded and crept down the stairs to the bathroom. No one ran, no one danced, no one played in these halls. There was only hiding and creeping in the shadows, trying to avoid the evil eyes of Mrs. Wicket. Once I reached the dingy bathroom with cracked yellow porcelain, I brushed my teeth, combed my hair, just going through the motions while trying to deflate the balloon of want in my chest. There was no point in getting excited about anything; potential parents came all the time. They came with their big eyes full of empty promises, leaving broken dreams in their wake. I had given up hope after the a young couple had come to see me when I was seven. They were so kind, decorating my coloring books with crayon doodles and even bringing me gifts. They visited so often that I called them 'Mommy' and 'Daddy'. That was when they stopped coming. They had found another little girl to bring home instead.

"I'm going to bring in the parents. Sit here and be polite, maybe if I'm lucky they'll take you away so I'll never have to see your ugly face again!" Ms. Wicket snarled at me. She said things like that to me all the time. Well, she never really said anything to anyone. She spat, complete with little flecks of saliva flying through the air. Most people would think I would've stopped caring about the insults by now- everyone would understand if I hated the spit. Instead it just stung more and more each day. I nodded like the mute bobble head I was and she walked out the door of the small room we were in. It had white walls, with a table that had two chairs on one side and another chair on the opposite side where I was sitting. It was called the 'Family Room', but it didn't remind me anything of a family. Of course, how would I know what family felt like? I had never had one. Before I could dwell on my depressing thoughts any longer the door swung open. First in came Ms. Wicket, then after her were the parents. They were the weirdest parents I'd ever seen. Weirder yet, I knew them. Well, one of them. The first one to walk in sent me a dazzling smile. He was tall, with spiky black hair, wearing galaxy leggings, designer boots and a pink blazer open over a black t-shirt. Glitter covered his entire body, especially around his greenish-yellow cat eyes.  
"Magnus!" I gasped. He smiled and sat down across from me. That's when I noticed the man walking through the door behind him. He was about a head shorter than Magnus. He was wearing a loose set of dark jeans and a worn, cozy looking grey sweater. His locks of hair were dark as raven feathers. His bright blue eyes looked up at me from the floor, jumping out at against his fair skin. Compared to Magnus, most people would've thought he was a dull flame next to a shining star. But I knew better. I truly saw him. Covering the skin of his wrists, neck and hands were what looked like tattoos, although they weren't pictures or words. They were strange symbols, and each time I looked at them for too long or concentrated too hard my head swam. Along with the black designs there were white shining scars that swirled over his skin like liquid silver. His eyes widened and he looked at Magnus, confused. Magnus motioned for him to sit down and he slid into the chair next to him. I wanted to speak and force the words out of my throat, but I couldn't ignore Ms. Wicket's presence in the room. It was like an anvil that loomed over our heads. I sank deeper in my chair to hide from her without even meaning to.  
"Straighten up!" She snapped, pointing her gnarled, bony finger at me. When she raised her hand I couldn't help but flinch and her eyes flashed. The blue eyed man clearly witnessed it and his hands clenched, the knuckles turning white. The atmosphere in the room was as cold as the ninth circle of Hell. We all avoided looking at each other for a minute, then Magnus cleared his throat.

"Ms. Wicket, is it alright if we have a moment to speak with Maude alone?" He asked, his voice polite yet clipped. Ms. Wicket looked as if he had cussed at her then kicked her cat for good measure. She stomped off, muttering under her breath about how gay couples shouldn't be allowed near a child and more horrible, untrue things I don't want to say, much less write. The door slammed shut with a boom, and then it was just the three of us.

_Alec's POV _

The first thing I noticed about her was her age. Magnus hadn't mentioned her age, but I guessed since she was in an orphanage she would be young. A child. I was wrong, the girl in front of me was a teenager, I guessed fifteen years old. My eyes widened in surprise as I eased myself into the chair next to Magnus. She had long, fine hair that shone like a new penny that fell in her eyes. She was wearing an old over-sized sweater with leggings and sneakers. She wasn't stick thin, like most girls her age wanted. She was actually healthy, a little soft. Not a speck of makeup coated her face, and she seemed a little... self-conscious. Uncomfortable in her own skin, almost like I was at her age. The next thing I noticed was the sadness in her eyes, dark blue eyes that seemed to churn when you looked for too long. She seemed solemn, hoping for the best but preparing for the worst. It tugged at my heart because it was the aura of a Shadowhunter.  
"Magnus, what are you doing here?" She flashed a glowing grin and all signs of sadness vanished from her appearance, though I suspected maybe underneath it was still there.  
"Exactly what it looks like I'm doing. I'm here with my boyfriend, hoping to adopt you." He informed her. Only I could tell from the tenseness in his shoulders that he was nervous, waiting to hear what she'd say. How she'd react.  
"Your boyfriend?" The girl repeated and Magnus nodded. Then, before I knew it, she had turned to me with a shy smile, blush coating her cheeks. "Hi, I'm Maude. It's nice to meet you." She gave me a jaunty little wave and I didn't realize I was holding my breath until I released it, relief coursing through me.  
"I'm Alec," I said with a hint of a smile, becoming a little distracted as Magnus intertwined his fingers with mine on top of the table, all possible pretenses gone. Damn warlock.  
"So... You guys really wanna adopt me?" Her big eyes looked between the two of us, her expression a little torn. She seemed like she wanted to believe it but wasn't sure if she could. I glanced over at Magnus, who was already looking at me, an eyebrow raised, almost saying _Isn't she perfect?_ And I had to agree, she was.  
"Yeah, if you want us to." I told her and this time she couldn't help her face from breaking out into a grin. But then she scrunched her eyebrows and studied me a bit more, paying particular attention to my hands, wrists and throat. I shifted, it was almost like she could see my scars. My nerves must have been getting to me because all my Marks were glamoured. There was no way she could see them... Right?

_Maude's POV _

I chewed at my lip. This was my dream, I wanted to go with them so much it hurt. But I couldn't, not just yet.  
"I need to know something first." I said. Magnus looked as calm as ever, but Alec fidgeted, tugging on the sleeves of his sweater.  
"What is it, dear?" Magnus' cat eyes were bright. I took a deep breath, my gaze scanning Alec's tattoos and Magnus' eyes once again.  
"What are the two of you?" I lowered my voice to a whisper, Ms. Wicket was more than likely eavesdropping outside the door.  
Alec paled and whirled on Magnus. "You didn't tell me she had the Sight!" He hissed and Magnus flushed.  
"I thought we could talk about it at home."  
"If she will even come with us, I must have scared her to death! I look like an escaped convict!"  
I took this as my chance to pop in a word edgewise; I didn't want them to fight. I just wanted an explanation. "You didn't scare me. And you most certainly do not look like an escaped convict." I told Alec and he relaxed a bit, giving me a small smile.  
Magnus grinned at him. "Didn't I tell you she was wonderful?"  
Alec chuckled and squeezed Magnus' fingers gently. "Okay, let's make a deal. We'll tell you everything when we get home, we promise. Assuming you still want to come with us..?" He phrased it as a question, even though the answer was quite clear in my mind. His eyes were hopeful and Magnus outstretched his free hand towards me over the table. I placed my hand in his, afraid that if I held on too tight that everything would slip away. I felt pressure on my other set of fingers and glanced over to see Alec nervously holding my onto me with his hand that wasn't claimed by Magnus.  
I gripped their hands a little tighter. "It's a deal." Alec's blue eyes brightened and Magnus' smile spread across is whole face. He jumped from his chair and ran towards the door, then at the last moment turned towards Alec and I.  
"I'll go get the paperwork!" He sang and, laughing, ran out the door to go find that witch Ms. Wicket. I realized my cheeks were starting to ache, I'd been smiling for ages and I hadn't even noticed. Before I could say anything, Magnus flew into the room, waving the sheets of paper for my adoption in his grip. Ms. Wicket followed behind him scowling, pointing out where Alec and Magnus had to sign in stony silence. Within minutes, the paper work was completed. I was officially Maude Bane. I went to go upstairs to grab my things, smiling the whole way. I stuffed my clothes and notebooks containing my stories into a yellow duffel bag that every child was given when they arrived at the orphanage. Everyone stared at me, envy and despair written in their eyes. I felt bad, but I was dying to get out of that damned place and nothing was going to stop me. I was tripping over my own feet as I ran down the stairs. Ms. Wicket glowered at me, but Alec stepped closer to me and Magnus smiled, although it seemed more like he was baring his teeth. Then I was swept out into the street by my two new dads into a sleek black and purple sparkling Camaro, and I was on my way to my new home.


	2. Angels and Demons

**Hey**** guys, the name's Morganstein! This is just a little note to say thank you for reading The Dire Mechanisms, this is my very first fic but there's no need to go easy on me in the comment section, haha. Every follow/fav/review is appreciated, so if you do one of those then thank you again. I couldn't have done this without an awesome beta, The Sword is my Pen. She's amazing and I highly recommend. This literary world and most of the characters do not belong to me but to the wonderful Cassandra Clare! Enjoy! **

_Maude's POV  
_

"Is it alright if I sit here?" The voice jolted me out of my reverie with a jerk. I raised my head from the book in my hands to see who in the world was talking to me. I almost shouted out loud. Instead, all I could do was stare, my eyes growing wider the whole time. A man who looked like he was probably in his early 30's at most was towering above me as I traveled home on the subway. He was unbelievably tall, far taller than anyone else on the train, yet so slim that he was almost skinny. His clothes were startling, bright purple skinny jeans, platform boots and a golden mesh shirt with a skin-tight sky blue tank top underneath. His hair was black, spiky, and sticking out in all directions like glamorous bed head. Covering the façade and tying the look together was an enormous amount of glitter that made him shimmer when he moved. It matched the sparkly eyeliner he was wearing that made his eyelashes seem fuller and darker. All of those factors would've been enough to make most scream, but that wasn't what shocked me. No, what shocked me were his eyes, yellowish-green cat eyes, with slits for pupils. He studied me with them with a sense of amusement. Something else I couldn't name was hidden there underneath as well. "I'll take that as a yes, then." He flashed me a grin and sat down next to me. I ripped my gaze away from his eyes. I stared down at my shaking hands that were on the verge of letting my ragged novel slip to the floor. I closed the book with a small thud and the sound rang out in the closeness of the subway seat. "What book are you reading?" He asked in a kind tone.  
"Jane Eyre." My reply was nothing more than a mumble.  
The joy in his tone was so clear when he answered it was almost like I could hear him smiling. "That's one of my favorites, I've read it many times myself." I raised my head to look at him. I had been right, he was smiling.  
"Mine too." I gave him a small grin. I couldn't help but sneak a glance at his eyes just to see if they really were... cat eyes. They were still the same as when I had first seen them. Those couldn't be his real eyes, could they? His smile faded and his eyes gazed back into mine, steady as a heartbeat. I dropped my chin and returned to looking at the book in my lap.  
He didn't say anything for a moment, then whispered something that assured me I wasn't, in fact, insane. "What do you see?" He asked and I turned to look at his face again. He was handsome, I guess, with tan skin and fine features. His teeth were also a brilliant white and, although they were flat, looked unusually sharp.  
"Your eyes... They're like a cat's." I spoke softly so no one else would hear.  
He blinked. "You see more than I thought, my dear." His voice was gentle but curious, and he scrunched his eyebrows, studying me.  
"What are you?" I tried to keep my voice steady but failed miserably.  
He put out his hand, which I shook with just my fingertips. "I'm Magnus Bane." He stated matter-of-factly.  
"No, I mean, _what_ are you?" I shook my head, almost as if I shook it enough my eyes would clear and I'd be mistaken about his entire existence.  
"That, sweetheart, is for me to know and for you to find out." He winked one of his glittery eye lids and I stared at him. "So, what is your name? I told you mine, you tell me yours." Magnus leaned back into the padded bench of the subway. I thought for a moment. One part of me was screaming 'Stranger danger!, yet at the same time... There was an air about him I couldn't explain. I felt it in the pit of my stomach and it made me trust him almost without thinking. Magnus Bane. Who would name their child Magnus?  
"I'm Maude. Just Maude." The last part I added as an afterthought.  
He raised an eyebrow, clearly unconvinced. "Well, Maude, what happened to your last name? Did you misplace it in that head of yours? Or did you lose it and can't remember where you left it?" Magnus asked, half mocking, half curious.  
I bit my lip and played with the pages of the book on my lap. "I'm sorry to disappoint, but I don't have a last name. At least, not one I know of." My voice was quiet.  
Realization dawned in his eyes that soon vanished in a flash of pity. "Orphan?" This guy was blunt, to say the least.  
"Yeah."  
"I'm sorry."  
"I never understood why people say that. It's not like you killed them." I looked at him and he grinned widely, chuckling to himself. "What's so funny?" Confusion made me crinkle my brow.  
"Nothing, it just sounds something like a friend of mine would say."

Magnus and I chatted for the rest of the subway ride, which in hindsight was quite strange. The man himself was strange, but I liked him. He was eccentric, but empathetic. And as for his eyes... He didn't explain and I didn't ask. Soon enough I sighed and told Magnus we'd be at my stop in seconds. My orphanage was just a few blocks away. I know it's odd for a fifteen year old to go to an orphanage instead of a foster home, but I prefer it that way I guess. In a foster home, it's like they're fond enough of you to take care of you, but they don't love you enough to keep you. Upon hearing the news that I would be departing the bus, Magnus frowned and then, surprising me, hugged me.  
"I'll see you soon, okay?" He murmured into my ear. I pulled away in confusion.  
"Um, okay..? How?" The bus screeched to a halt and I got to my feet, looking back at Magnus over my shoulder. All he did was smile and wave, then before I knew it I was herded off of the train and down the stairs to the sidewalk by the other passengers. Just like that I was back inside my personal hell, complete with my own personal demons.

_Magnus' POV _

"Alec! I'm home!" I trilled, striding into the apartment. A man walked out of one of the rooms, wiping his hands on his sweat pants. He looked like he'd just finished training and wasn't wearing his usual threadbare grey sweater, instead opting to leave his chest bare, exposing his muscled torso that was the result of years of training. The white, silvery scars that marked his kind twined up and down his arms like pale vines, climbed his legs, sprawled over his chest, danced across his back and encircled his throat. His blue eyes lit up when he caught sight of me, bright against his fair skin and paired with his jet black hair. He smiled a sheepish grin that even though I had seen it a million times before the sight of it always made my heart flutter and took my breath away. He was absolutely beautiful. And he was all mine. My Alec.  
"Hey, Magnus! I just finished training I-" My mouth on his cut him off, my lips hungrily devouring his own. I traced the scars on his back with my fingertips, just whispers against Alec's porcelain skin. Some may say that his scars were imperfections, flaws, reminders of pain. I, myself, thought of them as just another thing that made Alec so Alec. Thus they made him all the more amazing in my eyes. I wound my long fingers into his midnight locks and pulled away, still cradling his face in my hands. His eyes fluttered open and he smiled, blushing. "Someone had a good day." He murmured with a breathless whisper and I grinned down at him. He was the right height where his head fit just so under my chin when I wrapped my arms around him.  
"Alec, I found her." I couldn't contain my excitement. After 15 years of wanting this, I had found her. I only wished that Alec could have been there to meet her too, so we could have looked at each other with the same expression of awe on our faces.  
"Found who?" Alec crinkled his brow in confusion, scrunching up his nose in a way that was so damn cute it was physically hard not to kiss him again. I took a deep breath, and whispered the news that would change our lives forever.  
"I found our daughter."

_Alec's POV_

My eyes widened and Magnus dropped his hands from my face. He still had that wild grin upon his gorgeous face, and that look in his eyes that told me anything's possible. Even without the platform boots he was wearing, Magnus was an immense six-foot five, with lightly muscled limbs and a toned torso that, I knew, lacked a belly button. His ears were pierced by a multitude of metal rings and studs. Magnus had attempted to take me to get my ears done and just about anything else that you could puncture pierced, but it wasn't my thing. His thick, unruly black hair was spiked as usual, with the help of hair gel and maybe a little magic too. His skin was tanned, and had its fair share of sparkle glimmering over its surface. Magnus' eyes were outlined in liquid glitter and were deep, a yellowish-green iris surrounding a cat's pupil black as midnight. He was stunning, breathtaking, glitter or not. And he was absolutely, positively, mine forever. "Please don't tell me you went to the adoption agency without me." I said quietly, a little disappointed. If he had went, why hadn't he taken me? Wasn't it my child, too? But my fears were unfounded, because he shook his head.  
"I saw her on the subway. She was perfect, darling, oh I wish you'd been there!" He spread his arms wide and spun around, tottering on his feet and laughing with giddy happiness. I sat down on the couch, but Magnus continued his tale. "She had long copper hair to her waist, and her eyes were like soft blueberries. They were so deep and so sad it broke my heart, dear. She was sweet, she was shy, she was witty, she was smart and she was adorable! I couldn't believe it, as soon as I laid eyes on her I knew she was the perfect daughter for us." He rambled on, the smile never leaving his face and the twinkle never vanishing from his eyes. When he finished he looked at me expectantly.  
My face had gone paler than usual and my eyes were still as wide as saucers. "Magnus, you really are the Child Catcher from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. How do you even know if she's an orphan?" I asked, a little horrified, and he grinned again.  
"I asked her, and she told me she was." He replied, sitting down next to me on the couch.  
I face palmed, then rested my head in my hands. "By the Angel, Magnus, you can't just ask people if they're orphans." I mumbled through my fingers. I could feel blazing hot skin on my own, and my fingers were peeled away from my face, Magnus holding them in his hands at my side. He put his face close to mine just so that our foreheads touched. I tried to look at him head-on but that only made me light-headed. I couldn't tell if it was from his proximity or because I was going cross-eyed, probably both. Magnus pressed his lips to mine once again, softly.  
"We're going to be fathers, Alec." He murmured against my mouth and I couldn't help but smile, pulling my hands from his at my side, wrapping my arms around his neck and pulling him even closer.

_Maude's POV _

"Where have you been, you little brat?" Ms. Wicket screeched as I slipped inside the foyer. She was a short, squat, ugly woman, with long, greasy grey hair that she tied back into a tight bun and was carrying the enormous handbag she always had with her.  
"I-I'm sorry, I was just reading in the park." I apologized, creeping towards the stairs the faster she walked towards me.  
"In the park? Why would you go to an awful place like that? It's full of bugs and grass and..." She stopped mid-sentence as she caught sight of a small speck of dirt on the floor. I blanched, realizing I must have dragged it in when I walked inside. "You creature! You filthy excuse for a girl! You dirty little rat!" She started hollering at me. Ms. Wicket dug into her bag and withdrew her wooden spoon. It was famous around the orphanage and every single child had seen it being used on someone or had received the punishment themselves at one point or another. I gulped and came towards her, knowing full well from experience that if I ran it would only make it worse. She tapped the long spoon against her hand, glaring at me with eyes that were full of what could only be described as pure hatred. I closed my eyes and tried to block out everything as I heard the swish of the wooden spoon fly through the air.  
_Thwack!_

The next morning I was awakened by a pounding on the door. "Maude! Get up, there's a set of parents here who'd like to see you!" Ms. Wicket screamed at me through the door. I groaned and rolled out of bed, stiff and sore from the night before. Everyone started whispering and I caught small fragments of what they said. Parents, family, home, adoption. I pulled on a large, over-sized sweater with a pair of tights and old sneakers, hoping to hide my body in the folds of the baggy material for countless reasons.  
"Good luck." A voice called out. I turned around to see who said it, but I couldn't pick out who it was from the crowd of faces. So I just nodded and crept down the stairs to the bathroom. No one ran, no one danced, no one played in these halls. There was only hiding and creeping in the shadows, trying to avoid the evil eyes of Mrs. Wicket. Once I reached the dingy bathroom with cracked yellow porcelain, I brushed my teeth, combed my hair, just going through the motions while trying to deflate the balloon of want in my chest. There was no point in getting excited about anything; potential parents came all the time. They came with their big eyes full of empty promises, leaving broken dreams in their wake. I had given up hope after the a young couple had come to see me when I was seven. They were so kind, decorating my coloring books with crayon doodles and even bringing me gifts. They visited so often that I called them 'Mommy' and 'Daddy'. That was when they stopped coming. They had found another little girl to bring home instead.

"I'm going to bring in the parents. Sit here and be polite, maybe if I'm lucky they'll take you away so I'll never have to see your ugly face again!" Ms. Wicket snarled at me. She said things like that to me all the time. Well, she never really said anything to anyone. She spat, complete with little flecks of saliva flying through the air. Most people would think I would've stopped caring about the insults by now- everyone would understand if I hated the spit. Instead it just stung more and more each day. I nodded like the mute bobble head I was and she walked out the door of the small room we were in. It had white walls, with a table that had two chairs on one side and another chair on the opposite side where I was sitting. It was called the 'Family Room', but it didn't remind me anything of a family. Of course, how would I know what family felt like? I had never had one. Before I could dwell on my depressing thoughts any longer the door swung open. First in came Ms. Wicket, then after her were the parents. They were the weirdest parents I'd ever seen. Weirder yet, I knew them. Well, one of them. The first one to walk in sent me a dazzling smile. He was tall, with spiky black hair, wearing galaxy leggings, designer boots and a pink blazer open over a black t-shirt. Glitter covered his entire body, especially around his greenish-yellow cat eyes.  
"Magnus!" I gasped. He smiled and sat down across from me. That's when I noticed the man walking through the door behind him. He was about a head shorter than Magnus. He was wearing a loose set of dark jeans and a worn, cozy looking grey sweater. His locks of hair were dark as raven feathers. His bright blue eyes looked up at me from the floor, jumping out at against his fair skin. Compared to Magnus, most people would've thought he was a dull flame next to a shining star. But I knew better. I truly saw him. Covering the skin of his wrists, neck and hands were what looked like tattoos, although they weren't pictures or words. They were strange symbols, and each time I looked at them for too long or concentrated too hard my head swam. Along with the black designs there were white shining scars that swirled over his skin like liquid silver. His eyes widened and he looked at Magnus, confused. Magnus motioned for him to sit down and he slid into the chair next to him. I wanted to speak and force the words out of my throat, but I couldn't ignore Ms. Wicket's presence in the room. It was like an anvil that loomed over our heads. I sank deeper in my chair to hide from her without even meaning to.  
"Straighten up!" She snapped, pointing her gnarled, bony finger at me. When she raised her hand I couldn't help but flinch and her eyes flashed. The blue eyed man clearly witnessed it and his hands clenched, the knuckles turning white. The atmosphere in the room was as cold as the ninth circle of Hell. We all avoided looking at each other for a minute, then Magnus cleared his throat.

"Ms. Wicket, is it alright if we have a moment to speak with Maude alone?" He asked, his voice polite yet clipped. Ms. Wicket looked as if he had cussed at her then kicked her cat for good measure. She stomped off, muttering under her breath about how gay couples shouldn't be allowed near a child and more horrible, untrue things I don't want to say, much less write. The door slammed shut with a boom, and then it was just the three of us.

_Alec's POV _

The first thing I noticed about her was her age. Magnus hadn't mentioned her age, but I guessed since she was in an orphanage she would be young. A child. I was wrong, the girl in front of me was a teenager, I guessed fifteen years old. My eyes widened in surprise as I eased myself into the chair next to Magnus. She had long, fine hair that shone like a new penny that fell in her eyes. She was wearing an old over-sized sweater with leggings and sneakers. She wasn't stick thin, like most girls her age wanted. She was actually healthy, a little soft. Not a speck of makeup coated her face, and she seemed a little... self-conscious. Uncomfortable in her own skin, almost like I was at her age. The next thing I noticed was the sadness in her eyes, dark blue eyes that seemed to churn when you looked for too long. She seemed solemn, hoping for the best but preparing for the worst. It tugged at my heart because it was the aura of a Shadowhunter.  
"Magnus, what are you doing here?" She flashed a glowing grin and all signs of sadness vanished from her appearance, though I suspected maybe underneath it was still there.  
"Exactly what it looks like I'm doing. I'm here with my boyfriend, hoping to adopt you." He informed her. Only I could tell from the tenseness in his shoulders that he was nervous, waiting to hear what she'd say. How she'd react.  
"Your boyfriend?" The girl repeated and Magnus nodded. Then, before I knew it, she had turned to me with a shy smile, blush coating her cheeks. "Hi, I'm Maude. It's nice to meet you." She gave me a jaunty little wave and I didn't realize I was holding my breath until I released it, relief coursing through me.  
"I'm Alec," I said with a hint of a smile, becoming a little distracted as Magnus intertwined his fingers with mine on top of the table, all possible pretenses gone. Damn warlock.  
"So... You guys really wanna adopt me?" Her big eyes looked between the two of us, her expression a little torn. She seemed like she wanted to believe it but wasn't sure if she could. I glanced over at Magnus, who was already looking at me, an eyebrow raised, almost saying _Isn't she perfect?_ And I had to agree, she was.  
"Yeah, if you want us to." I told her and this time she couldn't help her face from breaking out into a grin. But then she scrunched her eyebrows and studied me a bit more, paying particular attention to my hands, wrists and throat. I shifted, it was almost like she could see my scars. My nerves must have been getting to me because all my Marks were glamoured. There was no way she could see them... Right?

_Maude's POV _

I chewed at my lip. This was my dream, I wanted to go with them so much it hurt. But I couldn't, not just yet.  
"I need to know something first." I said. Magnus looked as calm as ever, but Alec fidgeted, tugging on the sleeves of his sweater.  
"What is it, dear?" Magnus' cat eyes were bright. I took a deep breath, my gaze scanning Alec's tattoos and Magnus' eyes once again.  
"What are the two of you?" I lowered my voice to a whisper, Ms. Wicket was more than likely eavesdropping outside the door.  
Alec paled and whirled on Magnus. "You didn't tell me she had the Sight!" He hissed and Magnus flushed.  
"I thought we could talk about it at home."  
"If she will even come with us, I must have scared her to death! I look like an escaped convict!"  
I took this as my chance to pop in a word edgewise; I didn't want them to fight. I just wanted an explanation. "You didn't scare me. And you most certainly do not look like an escaped convict." I told Alec and he relaxed a bit, giving me a small smile.  
Magnus grinned at him. "Didn't I tell you she was wonderful?"  
Alec chuckled and squeezed Magnus' fingers gently. "Okay, let's make a deal. We'll tell you everything when we get home, we promise. Assuming you still want to come with us..?" He phrased it as a question, even though the answer was quite clear in my mind. His eyes were hopeful and Magnus outstretched his free hand towards me over the table. I placed my hand in his, afraid that if I held on too tight that everything would slip away. I felt pressure on my other set of fingers and glanced over to see Alec nervously holding my onto me with his hand that wasn't claimed by Magnus.  
I gripped their hands a little tighter. "It's a deal." Alec's blue eyes brightened and Magnus' smile spread across is whole face. He jumped from his chair and ran towards the door, then at the last moment turned towards Alec and I.  
"I'll go get the paperwork!" He sang and, laughing, ran out the door to go find that witch Ms. Wicket. I realized my cheeks were starting to ache, I'd been smiling for ages and I hadn't even noticed. Before I could say anything, Magnus flew into the room, waving the sheets of paper for my adoption in his grip. Ms. Wicket followed behind him scowling, pointing out where Alec and Magnus had to sign in stony silence. Within minutes, the paper work was completed. I was officially Maude Bane. I went to go upstairs to grab my things, smiling the whole way. I stuffed my clothes and notebooks containing my stories into a yellow duffel bag that every child was given when they arrived at the orphanage. Everyone stared at me, envy and despair written in their eyes. I felt bad, but I was dying to get out of that damned place and nothing was going to stop me. I was tripping over my own feet as I ran down the stairs. Ms. Wicket glowered at me, but Alec stepped closer to me and Magnus smiled, although it seemed more like he was baring his teeth. Then I was swept out into the street by my two new dads into a sleek black and purple sparkling Camaro, and I was on my way to my new home.


	3. Magnus Bane: Fashion Guru

**_Bonjour tout le monde!_ Hi everyone! Doesn't everything sound better in French? _La guerre des étoiles: _Star Wars :P Okay I'm so off topic what I was trying to say is that welcome to The Dire Mechanisms! Thank you so much for reading my story, it really means a lot to me. I wouldn't even be posting this story for my beta The Sword is my Pen, so give it up for her! *Applause* Now, I have a request from you lovely readers. After you finish this chapter, please look up the video 'Malec: Laughter Lines' on Youtube. I made it myself, and I would looovvveee for you guys to watch it! _Au revoir!_**

_Maude's POV_

I awoke still in my clothes from the day before, feeling disoriented. Sleep was still clinging to my eyelashes and my sweater was starting to itch. I suddenly realized I didn't even own a pair of pajamas. Or a real toothbrush. A soft knock sounded on my door, tugging me out of my muddled thoughts. "Come in."  
Magnus peeked his head in the door and grinned. "We need to get you some clothes, don't we?"  
"We do? But..." I said hesitantly.  
"Alec has the day off, so we thought we'd make a time of it." Magnus was all the way inside my room now, looking at my bare wardrobe thoughtfully. I plucked at my old sweater, my mind going a mile a minute. I had never gone shopping, per say, like shopping in a mall. My experiences with shopping have for the most part been digging through the charity bin at my orphanage and grabbing whatever fit well enough to wear. The sweater and leggings I was wearing were the best things I owned.  
Magnus motioned for me to follow him, then turned and headed down the stairs. I hesitated for a moment before following him into the kitchen where a sleepy-faced Alec was waiting. Magnus wrapped his arms around Alec's waist from behind and kissed his temple. Immediately Alec's eyes brightened and he grinned. Magnus smiled and I couldn't help but notice how different they both looked. Alec wore a fitted grey t-shirt and plaid pyjama pants, showing off his Marked arms. His whole being was more happy. Magnus wore a striped pajama set and his hair wasn't spiked, instead it was shoulder length and tucked behind his ears. His face was free of make up, clean and fresh. I could tell I was seeing sides of them that not many people had seen before. They trusted me like it was the easiest thing to do in the world.  
"You guys look nice." They stopped smiling and laughing, but Magnus kept his arms around Alec. He propped his chin on top of his head playfully. Alec looked a little confused.  
"Um... Thanks..?" He said.  
I flushed. "y-Your can see your Marks," I mumbled to my feet. "They aren't hidden. It looks... right. I-I mean you look happier! More natural..." I let my voice trail away shyly. Before I could awkwardly try and move past my weird but sincere compliments, Magnus piped up.  
"What about me?" He asked and I gulped.  
"W-well, your hair looks good. And you're not wearing any make up. So I can see what your face actually looks like." I looked up from my feet and both of their expressions were, in hindsight, hilarious. But in the moment I thought I might've offended them. "I mean, you guys look nice all the time. Alec, you never look like cranky or anything and your sweaters are really cozy looking, and Magnus, your make up and hair are awesome too. It's just..." I stumbled over my explanation. "You guys look nice like this, too." I stumbled over my explanation. Magnus looked at Alec with a bewildered expression, then busted out laughing. Alec grinned and I smiled tentatively. Magnus untangled his hand from around Alec's hips and grabbed my hand. He pulled me into him and Alec. Alec embraced me and Magnus put his arms around the two of us, dropping a kiss on my head.  
"For the record, Maude, you look nice, too." Alec told me gently. I smiled a little, I couldn't help it. Then my stomach growled like some kind of animal and ruined the moment. Magnus relinquished the two of us and began searching throughout the cupboards.  
"Ah, damn it! All we have is Alec's crazy Shadowhunter food." Magnus growled. I glanced at Alec, who shrugged.  
"Crazy Shadowhunter food?" I repeated.  
Magnus frowned. "He has to stay fit and healthy, since his job is to kill demons after all. Therefore, no pancake mix." Magnus explained with a pout. I considered it for a moment. I had been trying to lose weight for a long time, but they didn't have any healthy food at the orphanage, it was always too expensive. Now I had the resources, and I sure as hell was going to use them to my full advantage.  
"I'll have whatever you're having, Alec." I said to him. He raised his eyebrows, but instead of saying anything, went to work cooking some eggs. I seated myself at the shiny chrome table, and Magnus situated himself across from me. He made himself some fruit loops and started chowing down.  
"Alec? Do you get paid for killing demons? It can't be easy, so I figured you deserve it." I commented, a pathetic and bizarre excuse for small talk. The corners of Alec's mouth twitched upwards.  
"Well, I don't get paid for killing demons, but I help run the New York Institute, and you're right, it isn't easy." He finished the eggs and set them on the table in front of me. I started to wolf them down.  
"Institute? What's that?" I asked in between mouthfuls.  
"It's a place where Shadowhunters can learn, train, rest, and meet other Nephilim. It's like a refuge, or a safe haven. And it's full of books." Alec explained.  
"It sounds like a great place to work." I said, intrigued. Alec grimaced a little bit and I cocked my head to the side. He hurried to clarify.  
"Often times it is, but me and my family don't always see eye to eye on everything."  
My eyes widened a little as I set down my fork. I was finished in a matter of minutes, and was still a little peckish, but I refused to eat anything else. "You have family?" I asked.  
Alec nodded. "They don't know about you." He admitted.  
"Yet." Magnus added.  
"Yet." Alec agreed.  
"W-what are they like?" I asked in a small voice.  
"Well... You'll have to see for yourself, I guess. You can come with me to work tomorrow, if you want. They'd love you, I know it!" Alec looked so excited and hopeful that I couldn't turn him down, even though the thought of meeting his- I mean, MY family was tying my stomach into knots.  
I nodded a quick yes and he smiled brilliantly. I changed the subject as fast as I could. "What do you do for a living Magnus?" I guessed Magnus had to be making a fair amount of money to afford everything in his wardrobe.  
He motioned to himself. "I'm the High Warlock of Brooklyn. That means I keep an eye on Brooklyn, and if someone needs healing or help with spells, they can hire me. It pays quite well, so we won't starve." He winked at Alec, who grinned. I raised an eyebrow at the unspoken exchange and Magnus explained. "Years ago, when I had a crush on your father, he and his friends would always end up getting themselves hurt. He'd beg me to come over and save one of their lives again, and I'd always go, no matter what, free of charge. I did it all so I could see him. I saved his life at least twice the first summer I met him." Magnus recalled with a nostalgic sigh, twining his fingers through Alec's on top of the kitchen table.  
"Yep. Now I get a discount!" Alec chirped and I laughed.  
"Wow. That's really sweet, actually." I smiled.  
Alec blushed a little. "Yeah. Once he stitched me up when after I was attacked by a Greater Demon, and another time he saved me from drowning in the Hudson River." He admitted.  
Magnus chuckled and pecked his lips. "You were a pain. But you were worth it." He teased. Alec stuck his tongue out at him and I laughed again. Magnus glanced at the clock. "Oh! We need to get going, we have a looooong day ahead of us!" He cried, getting up from the table. His fingers were still interlocked with Alec's, therefore dragging Alec behind him as he walked about the apartment.  
"Where are we going?" I asked, following Alec and Magnus as they started walking down the hall.  
"Shopping, remember?" Magnus said. Right, I had almost forgotten about that. He let go of Alec and slipped into the bathroom, closing the door behind him, leaving Alec and me stuck in the hallway. Alec scowled.  
"Magnus! Magnus hurry up, I have to go to the bathroom!" He rapped on the door smartly whilst I went upstairs to change, only to be granted with the sounds of running water and Magnus singing intertwined with almost maniacal laughter. I rummaged through the few items I had in my bag, trying to figure out what the hell I was going to wear. Everything was either stained, ripped, ill-fitting, or permanently wrinkled. My heaving sigh of frustration drowned out Alec's footsteps padding into my room so I didn't notice him until he was standing next to me.  
"Having some issues?" He jerked his chin to the pile of shabby clothes on my bed.  
I looked down and scuffed my sneakers against the floorboards. "I don't have anything to wear." I knew how selfish and whiny it sounded coming out of my mouth, but it really was true.  
"Well, that's okay. Magnus always says I look like I roll out of bed and into my clothes, but ... You can borrow a sweater if you want." He offered me a navy blue hoodie with his pale hand. It looked soft and warm.  
I looked up at him. "Really? You don't mind?"  
He smiled sheepishly. "No, of course not. You're my daughter; I'd give you the clothes off my back if you needed them."  
I blinked away the warmth that sprang to my eyes. "Thank you." I put all the gratitude I could into those two words, because that might have been one of the kindest things anyone had ever done for me. I took the sweater gently from him and when he left, I held it close to my chest before slipping it on.

"Oh. My. God!" Magnus was streaking around the trendy boutique, his hands fluttering around. It was our first stop on our shopping tour in the Lower East Side, home to hipsters and fashion trailblazers alike. He plucked clothes off the racks with unnerving speed and accuracy, piling them atop Alec's waiting arms. He looked a little amused as he watched Magnus' fascination with the clothes around us. The way Alec's mouth quirked up when his husband giggled at finding the most adorable jeans in the universe made me want to smile. I trailed behind, our little trio obviously sticking out like a sore thumb in such an expensive place. It didn't take long before I was ushered to a fitting room and the lock clicked, reminding me of a cell door being shut in prison. Dread settled on my chest and curled there in a knot. My eyes flickered around like a caged animal's. I was trapped, with a mountain of clothes, a mirror, and no way out.

_Magnus' POV_

"Come on out and show us, darling!" I chimed. Maude had been in the fitting room for ages now, and I was getting a little suspicious. It doesn't take someone fifteen minutes to put on a pair of jeans and a shirt.  
"I... I don't know..." Her small voice floated through the door and plucked at my heart strings.  
"It's okay." I reassured her. She peeked her head out and, after a moment of hesitation, walked all the way out into the open. Alec stood up from where he had been sitting and came closer. She was wearing a cute little pair of bootleg jeans and a black long-sleeve shirt.  
"That looks fabulous! Total casual chic." I said with a grin, clasping my hands together.  
She frowned and started yanking at the cotton fabric. "I don't think it fits very well. It's too tight."  
I looked at her closely, analyzing with my fashion eye. It was true that the shirt clung to her skin, but not in a bad way. It didn't stretch or pull, and there was no skin flashing where it shouldn't. "You're being silly."  
"What size is it?" Something flashed across her face.  
"Does it matter?" I said, reaching out to touch her shoulder.  
She stepped back into the changing room. "I'll try something else on."  
"Alright, darling." I glanced at Alec apprehensively.  
"Was it just me or did that look perfectly fine?" Alec asked under his breath.  
I shook my head, worry growing in my stomach like a weed. "No, it's not just you. I've been around clothes long enough to know. And I've also been around long enough to know what that look on her face was back there."  
"She's not going to like anything she tries on, will she?"  
"No, probably not."  
"Is that normal? What do we do?"  
"Yes, it's normal. Most fifteen year old girls get insecure at the best of times. As for what we do... Just try and boost her confidence a little."  
Alec nodded his head with vigor. "Alright. Boost her confidence. Got this." He muttered. When Maude came out next wearing a knee-length skirt and a jean jacket, he nearly shouted at her. "That looks nice!"  
She jumped about a foot in the air and I face palmed. I told Alec to boost her confidence, not her blood pressure.  
"Um, I'm not sure this is really my style." She looked at the skirt like someone who didn't like fish would look at sushi.  
I couldn't believe I'd forgotten to ask her what she liked to wear! "Right, whoopsies. What is your style, exactly?" I asked.  
"Skinny jeans, sneakers, cozy shirts..." She shrugged in a breath. "Pretty simple."  
I put my hands on my hips, thrust back into stylist mode. "Alright. Then we'll get you the most superb skinny jeans, sneakers and cozy shirts money can buy!" I declared, stalking back off to the racks of clothes, Alec following dutifully behind. I was on a mission, and I would not fail.

_Maude's POV_

Magnus returned in a matter of minutes. I searched for Alec, but I couldn't see him past the jumble of cotton and denim. _Is that all for me?_ I wondered. Apparently so. I had to give it to Magnus: If you give him an idea of what you're looking for, he can really deliver. I actually found enough shirts and pants, along with a pair of converse, to fill up my barren wardrobe. The cashier at the front of the store rang all the clothes through. The grand total was grand, alright. A lot grander than I had anticipated.  
"Oh, my god. I am so, _so_ sorry-" Heat was rising up in my cheeks, I was embarrassed and flabbergasted.  
"Why are you apologizing?" Alec asked.  
"Aren't you the one who told me you didn't understand it when people said they were sorry for things they can't control?" Magnus quipped.  
"But this is my fault, I'm costing you all this money-"  
"This isn't anyone's fault, we just want to buy you some clothes. It's no big deal." Alec said casually as he handed over some bills to the cashier.  
"I... Thanks." I said, knowing very well this was a fight I would not win.  
"No problem. Now, off to the next store!"

When we finally returned to the apartment that evening, my feet were aching from walking and my arms were tired from carrying my shopping bags. Who would have ever guessed I would ever say that? We had walked all over the Lower East Side, dipping in at least twenty stores. I had a variety of clothes and other items that I liked, that I didn't like, and some I didn't even know why I owned them in the first place. When I'd asked Alec about this, he just shrugged and told me that when Magnus was on a roll, it was better to just go along with it. So I went along with it, even when Magnus insisted on buying me a couple dresses and some high heels. Now I was just thankful to be back home.  
"You are so hard to shop for." Magnus groaned as he kicked off his shoes and stretched, his arms pinwheeling. "I'm getting too old for this."  
"Magnus Bane? Too old for shopping?" Alec gasped with mock surprise, dropping a kiss on Magnus' cheek as he hung up his coat.  
"This aging thing sucks, you know. I'm not used to it." He flopped on the couch and I gave him a look.  
"What do you mean?" I sat next to him on the couch.  
"Oh, I forgot! There's still so much you don't know. Warlocks live forever." He explained matter-of-factly.  
"Forever?" I asked incredulously. The concept of surviving for all of eternity was mind-boggling, especially since it concerned someone I knew.  
"Forever. Unless they're murdered or, in my case, decide to give up immortality." He said.  
"Why did you give up living forever?" He must have had a good reason, because most people would kill for freedom from the threat of death.  
"My dear, what I was doing was not living. I was merely existing, watching generations after generations of my loved ones die. I can't even remember most of their faces now." His voice had grown soft and his eyes had this faraway look in them. It seemed like the ghosts from his past were trying to make their way into the present, but he blinked and the look disappeared.  
"I promised myself that when I found someone worth growing old with, that I would give up on this immortality business altogether. It took me decades, but I found them. And I don't regret my decision, not even for a second." This time his eyes found Alec, who was in the kitchen pouring a glass of water. Sometimes the love they had for each other was so palpable that, even if they were a few feet apart, I felt like I was intruding on a private moment between young lovers.  
"Do you want something to drink?" Alec looked over at Magnus.  
"No, thanks. I have all I need right here."


End file.
